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UNSLOTH.AI: EASILY FINETUNE & TRAIN LLMS

Video from the founder of Unsloth on how its team uses PyTorch, writes their kernels, and designs their API surface. Unsloth's framework and library are extremely powerful and easy to use.

IMPROVING HETEROGENEOUS GRAPH NEURAL NETWORKS

SlotGAT is a new approach that improves heterogeneous graph neural networks by addressing the semantic mixing issue in traditional message passing.

DEEPFAKE DETECTION USING MASKED IMAGE MODELING

This new method detects deepfakes by focusing on masked image modeling, especially in the frequency domain. The approach differs from traditional methods and shows significant improvement in identifying synthetic images, even from new AI generative techniques.

HUGGING FACE ROBOTICS LIBRARY

The team at Hugging Face has released a new project that nicely packages common tools needed for robotics development.

ENHANCING VISUAL ABILITIES WITH MORPH-TOKENS

Researchers have developed "Morph-Tokens" to improve AI's visual understanding and image generation capabilities. These tokens transform abstract concepts used for comprehension into detailed visuals for image creation, leveraging the advanced processing power of the MLLM framework.

MEET VIBE-EVAL: EVALUATING MULTIMODAL CHAT MODELS

Vibe-Eval is a newly launched benchmark designed to test multimodal chat models with 269 visual understanding prompts, including 100 particularly challenging ones.

DEEPSEEK-V2 (HUGGING FACE HUB)

DeepSeek has released a 200B+ parameter model with 21B active parameters. It performs extremely well on code and reasoning. It's not clear if it is overall better than Llama 3 70B, but it is a welcome addition to the open model ecosystem.

AI PROMPT ENGINEERING IS DEAD

Automating prompt optimization for AI models suggests a future where manual prompt engineering may become obsolete, pointing towards more efficient, model-driven methods of generating effective prompts.

LIMITS OF VISION-LANGUAGE MODELS IN VISUAL REASONING

Vision-Language Models like GPT-4V are advancing rapidly in understanding and interacting with images and text. A recent study uncovers their significant limitations in visual deductive reasoning. Researchers tested these models using complex visual puzzles, like those found in IQ tests, and discovered that they struggle with multi-step reasoning and recognizing abstract patterns.

MICROSOFT SAYS IT DID A LOT FOR RESPONSIBLE AI IN INAUGURAL TRANSPARENCY REPORT

Microsoft's Responsible AI Transparency Report highlights its advancement in deploying AI responsibly in 2023, including the creation of 30 AI tools and implementing safety measures.

STATE OF AI IN 13 CHARTS

A new report by Stanford tracking worldwide AI trends.

COHERE'S COMMAND R MODEL FAMILY IS NOW AVAILABLE IN AMAZON BEDROCK

Command R and R+ are state-of-the-art LLMs optimized for long context tasks and excel at key business-critical capabilities.

SEC ISSUES ROBINHOOD CRYPTO A WELLS NOTICE

Robinhood Crypto received a Wells Notice from the SEC, signaling a potential enforcement action for alleged securities violations. The notice is one of many that the SEC has recently issued to crypto firms (e.g., UniSwap & Consensys) challenging the classification of digital assets on their platforms.

LOW ETH GAS FEES DRIVE BURN TO YEARLY LOW

Ethereum's daily ETH burn rate has hit a yearly low, mainly due to significantly reduced gas fees (gas on Ethereum is now 5 to 10 gwei). The decrease in gas fees, the lowest this year, is affecting the network's deflationary mechanism established by the London hard fork.

USDH, THE FIRST BITCOIN-BACKED SYNTHETIC DOLLAR, SET TO LAUNCH IN JUNE

Hermetica is launching the first Bitcoin-backed synthetic dollar, USDh, in June, offering a 25% yield to users. It argues the yield is sustainable because it is based on futures funding rates and a demand for Bitcoin futures. The company says that USDh will be a pivotal asset for increasing liquidity and functionality in Bitcoin DeFi.

3JANE – A PATH FORWARD FOR EIGENLAYER

3Jane is a derivatives protocol that allows users to collateralize yield-bearing ETH in options contracts, earning options premiums on top of staking and restaking yield. By sourcing yield within DeFi derivatives, 3Jane mitigates the opportunity costs of holding restaked ETH and alleviates the burden off AVS security budgets. It is a proof of concept of the potential of tokenizing cryptoeconomic security and derivatives on a shared ledger.

HORIZONTAL VS VERTICAL SCALING: THE NEW MODULAR VS MONOLITHIC

Modularity is a horizontal scaling technique that breaks blockchain down to its core components to make block creation more efficient. Vertical scaling involves increasing the hardware requirements of nodes and optimizing on the software level. Both modular and monolithic chains can employ horizontal and vertical scaling techniques. The endgame of Ethereum scalability will combine horizontal scaling through sharding and vertical scaling through parallelized VMs, which the =nil; L2 is working towards by incorporating modularity, zkSharding, and intra-shard parallelization.

THE POWER OF THE EIGEN TOKEN

This article discusses EigenLayer's "Universal Intersubjective Work Token" ($EIGEN) and its significance, breaking down its key features and complexities into 30 tweets. It explains how $EIGEN transforms Ethereum's $ETH into a universal objective work token, allowing for validation of external services and addressing intersubjective faults through a dual-token model while incorporating mechanisms like forking and social consensus.

SOME THOUGHTS ON THE MEMECOIN NARRATIVE

The memecoin ecosystem has expanded dramatically since 2020-21, when the only options were DOGE, SHIB, and a few other Ethereum-based tokens. New tooling has made creating memecoins significantly easier, requiring no coding skills, and new token standards like Runes and DN404 create more opportunities for unique designs. Supply far outstrips demand, making memecoins a high-risk, low-reward opportunity.

FANTASY TOP TAKES OVER CRYPTO TWITTER

Fantasy Top is a new game on Blast that turns crypto influencers into NFT trading cards. It allows players to compete based on the real-world Twitter engagement of their NFT trading card lineups. The game offers crypto and in-game rewards and is rapidly gaining popularity on Crypto Twitter.

STABLECOINS ESTIMATED TO PASS VISA IN TOTAL PAYMENTS IN Q2

Stablecoins are expected to pass $4 trillion in volume in Q2 2024, barely surpassing Visa's processing volume.

ZENECA REVIEWS FANTASY TOP

Fantasy Top, a new social finance game that allows players to draft teams of Twitter influencers, rewards players with crypto or native platform rewards based on the engagement metrics of the team members during set competition periods, turning Twitter activity into a competitive and potentially profitable venture.

BITCOIN MIXERS PULL OUT OF US

Prominent Bitcoin mixers such as Samourai Wallet, Wasabi Wallet, and hardware wallet Trezor are exiting the U.S. market or ending mixer services to avoid potential legal challenges.

EIP 3074

Ethereum developers are actively integrating EIP-3074 to simplify wallet usability.

YOUTUBE APPEARS TO REVERSE CONTROVERSIAL UI REDESIGN AFTER BACKLASH

YouTube may have decided not to roll out its most recent UI redesign after backlash on Reddit and X, where users questioned the practicality of the overly cluttered new look. The redesigned UI places video recommendations and the Shorts shelf below the video player, taking up space generally used for video details and comments. While most people now see the traditional layout, some have reported still seeing the trial layout.

INSTAGRAM INTRODUCES NEW INTERACTIVE STICKERS FOR STORIES

Music, photos, and videos can now be shared more interactively on Instagram. A new feature called Reveal blurs the contents of a story post, preventing viewers from seeing it unless they DM the person who shared it. Another feature, Frames, overlays Polaroid images on grayscale images that turn into pictures when you shake the phone. Instagram will add a music template feature that lets users post songs directly to their stories using prompts.

BETTER SIRI IS COMING: WHAT APPLE'S RESEARCH SAYS ABOUT ITS AI PLANS

Apple's AI approach focuses on practical uses and improving user experiences rather than just showcasing technological prowess. A group of Apple researchers has been working on a way to use Siri without needing to use a wake word. Instead of listening for “Hey Siri,” the device might be able to intuit whether the user is talking to it. It will also know whether the user is asking a follow-up or new question.

HOW I INTERVIEW PRODUCT DESIGNERS

This interviewer focuses on fostering a conducive environment for candidates while assessing their portfolios for skills and aesthetic appeal. Their evaluation encompasses a blend of subjective and objective measures, favoring a showcase of a few robust projects over exhaustive case studies. Throughout the process, attention is drawn to candidates who exhibit problem-solving prowess and have the potential to impact the team dynamic positively.

HOW TO RUN UX RESEARCH WITHOUT ACCESS TO USERS

Sometimes, you can't access users because of legal restrictions, high costs, or because they still need to be created. Still, there are a few workarounds that help us better understand users' pain points and issues. These strategies include connecting with people in your organization who regularly communicate with customers, accessing analytics, CRM reports, and call center logs and reading reviews, discussions, and comments about your product and its competitors.

DESIGNING WITH THE BRAIN IN MIND: THE ROLE OF COLOUR AND SHAPE IN UX

Many studies have consistently shown that color and shape can influence user behavior and create feelings. The findings of a new study shed light on how our brains may respond to digital stimuli differently based on evolutionary psychology and neuroimaging. As a result of its insights, designers are advised to use color judiciously and align with brand identity, choose rounded shapes, and minimize cognitive strain by implementing calming colors, clear and concise content, intuitive navigation, and clutter-free layouts.

TOOLS FOR BETTER THINKING

Untools is a collection of thinking tools and frameworks to help you solve problems, make decisions, and understand systems.

INSTANTLY GATHER VALUABLE INSIGHTS FROM YOUR USERS

Effortlessly collect and analyze user feedback as it happens, getting immediate insights into user sentiments, preferences, and pain points.

HANDCRAFTED OPEN SOURCE ICONS

This free open-source icon library features over 400 SVG and web font icons.

APPLE HOMEPAGE ADDS INTERACTIVE ‘ERASER' TEASER AHEAD OF TOMORROW'S IPAD EVENT

The Apple.com homepage has been updated with a last-minute teaser to celebrate the upcoming Apple event, where the company will announce a new lineup of iPad Pros and iPad Airs. The new teaser at the top of the page cycles between the various illustrations of the Apple logo, with a twist that users can erase the art with their mouse pointer.

UNDERPROMISING AND OVERDELIVERING IN THE AGE OF THE SOFTWARE-DEFINED VEHICLE

Car companies like Tesla, GM, and Volkswagen have recently released unfinished or ill-conceived products, possibly risking their reputations or even customers' safety, while asking people to trust completely new technologies. Automobile quality and safety standards are slipping due to a fascination with Silicon Valley's stock valuations and product culture, a need for clarity between intelligent and valuable, and simple overpromising and underdelivering.

DESIGNSHIFTS: A BETTER FUTURE FOR AND THROUGH DESIGN

The applications that designers build are contributing to an expanding mental health crisis, and the messages they craft are making people buy more while feeling less and less satisfied. Through an intentional shift, designers can move design from a tool contributing to division, destruction, and isolation to a practice that unites, rebuilds, and reconnects.

ATHLETICS BUILDS A BOLD BRAND FOR 15-YEAR-OLD MOTORSPORTS STAR, ALBA LARSEN

Alba Hurup Larsen, a 15-year-old rising star in motorsport racing, challenges gender norms in the male-dominated sport.

EVERYBODY READS

People prefer concise, engaging writing due to shorter attention spans.

COME ON ELON, YOUR NEW X TV LOGO COULD HAVE BEEN GREAT

Elon Musk teased the new X TV app by featuring its new logo design in a cryptic video.

AIRBNB'S NEW ‘ICONS' FEATURE MAY REDEFINE TRAVEL EXPERIENCES

Airbnb's latest initiative, “Icons”, features a series of unique experiences curated in collaboration with notable figures from music, film, art, and sports. For example, guests could enjoy an evening at a secret speakeasy designed by comedian Kevin Hart. The program launches with 11 such experiences, each accessible through a digital lottery system. Most of these experiences are offered for free or at a nominal cost of less than $100. In 2024, over 4,000 digital golden tickets will be used. Airbnb is potentially setting a new trend in how tech platforms can bridge the gap between digital interaction and real-world experiences.

TIKTOK SHARES INSIGHTS INTO THE GROWING ROLE IT PLAYS IN PRODUCT DISCOVERY

According to a new study by Material and TikTok, TikTok plays an increasingly powerful role in the product discovery process for consumers. 61% of the app's users discover new brands and products on the platform, which is 1.5X more than other platforms' users. 29% of users use TikTok specifically to search for a brand or retail account on the platform.

THE 4-STEP FORMATTING FRAMEWORK TO 10X YOUR WRITING

Good formatting makes your writing easier to read, skim, and share. Start every section with a single sentence opener, which keeps readers interested and encourages them to continue. Wherever possible, convert long paragraphs into bulleted lists. Use bolded subheads to break up the page and help the reader identify where they're going. Use the 1/3/1 writing rhythm, which entails intentionally alternating the length of sentences.

YOUR 14-DAY FREE TRIAL AIN'T GONNA CUT IT

This article delves into the pitfalls of relying on a 14-day free trial period, highlighting the discrepancy between customer onboarding time and the trial duration. Keygen, a software licensing and distribution API, adopted an unlimited trial to better align with its median time-to-convert of 41 days, resulting in increased overall sign-ups and improved conversion rates.

A SHORT REMINDER OF OATLY'S REBRAND

Most people don't know Oatly started in the 90's. With flat growth, the board shook things up by hiring a CEO outside of the food industry. The marketing department was replaced with a creative team that was involved in every business division and decision. Instead of using paid media to drive the brand's quirky messaging, the company made every square inch of the product packaging work harder. It lived and breathed the phrase “be human and not a logo”. The company gave a voice to the real people behind the brand.

life, quickly and at scale.

CREATIFY: THE FASTEST WAY TO CREATE SHORT VIDEO ADS

Creatify is an AI-powered app that generates high-quality marketing videos from a simple product link or a description. The tool analyzes your product listing, then generates a script and video preview. You can customize the voice, avatar, and other elements, then render the final video for marketing use. Creatify offers a free plan that includes credits for 2 video ads.

OPERA'S AI ASSISTANT CAN NOW SUMMARIZE WEB PAGES ON ANDROID

Aria can now summarize text-based web pages on Android. The AI-powered web page summarizing tool quickly condenses news articles, blog posts, or research papers into a short summary that typically fits on one screen. To use it, visit any text-based web page and tap the 3 dots in the top right corner of the Opera Android browser. Then, select the “Summarize” option next to the Aria icon.

HOW GOOGLE HARMS SEARCH ADVERTISERS IN 20 SLIDES